Following Egypt’s defeat to Senegal in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, Liverpool FC forward Mohammed Salah has set his sights on winning the title for the first time with Egypt.
As the most successful nation in AFCON history with seven titles and having reached two of the last three finals, Salah wants his country to retain its dominance on the continent.
“I want to win,” Salah said after Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Newcastle in the English Premier League on Monday night when asked about his AFCON targets via Sky Sports.
He added, “It means a lot to play for the national team. It’s something I cannot take for granted. I would love to win it.”
Salah, who was part of the losing team twice in the finals of 2017 and 2021 to Cameroon and Senegal, respectively, has participated in the competition three times, scoring six goals in 17 games for the Pharaohs.
He has made 89 appearances for Egypt since 2011 and scored 55 goals, placing him second all-time behind retired Hossam Hassan, who scored 68 goals in 178 games.
The 31-year-old is currently the joint Premier League top scorer with 14 goals this season, tied with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
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Liverpool will have to play without him until at least mid-February.
As the Premier League continues, Jurgen Klopp is expected to turn to Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota, Luis Daz, and Cody Gakpo to fill Salah’s big shoes.
